I was called out to a home in Wakefield where the owner wasn’t happy with the state of their Porcelain tiled kitchen floor. It had been down about five years, and while porcelain’s a tough, non-slip tile that’s spot on for kitchens, the textured surface had started to trap muck. The grout lines were just the same – once they get dirty, they don’t half take some shifting.
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The customer had been grafting away with regular cleaning but couldn’t get rid of the ingrained dirt. Having a couple of dogs running about didn’t help matters either. They were after a proper deep clean and a seal to make life easier.
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After conducting a test clean first, it showed the porcelain was of the microporous type which meant that a sealer would definitely help to keep it clean. The customer liked what they saw, so we cracked on and booked in a date to renovate the whole floor.
Cleaning a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen
First job was to get the muck shifted; to do this the Porcelain tile and grout was covered in a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. It was then left it to dwell and soak in for ten minutes so it could get to work on the floor digesting the dirt. Then we got stuck in with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad to work the solution deep into the floor.
Now, machines are grand for open areas, but they don’t half struggle to get into grout lines, so the only thing to do was to get down on my knees and give it a good scrub with stiff brush. You could see the improvement during the scrubbing turning the cleaning solution black as the dirt was lifted out.
After scrubbing the floor was rinsed with clean water and then a wet vacuum used to remove the soiling. Stubborn areas were gone over again by hand until they shifted. After another rinse and a thorough vacuum dry, the floor was ready for sealing.
Sealing a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen
Once dry, the Porcelain tile and grout was sealed using Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. This sealer doesn’t contain a colour enhancer so is invisible to the naked eye. Its also an impregnator that soaks into the pores adding protection from within and ensuring dirt remains on the surface making it much easier to clean going forward.
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After the work was wrapped up, I’m pleased to say the customer was chuffed with the result and left the following feedback on-line:
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To keep the floor looking grand, we recommended using Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner. It’s gentle but does the job, and unlike supermarket cleaners, it won’t erode the sealer or leave a residue behind. Used regularly, it’ll make sure the floor stays clean with no messing.
When cleaning Porcelain tiles with a mop we recommend using two buckets, one containing a neutral pH cleaning fluid such as Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner and the second where you rinse your mop afterwards, otherwise you will contaminate your cleaning fluid with dirt every time you rinse.